Serpent's Consideration
by Perfections-Cat
Summary: Left to his own devices, Sasuke gets a charming surprise when one of his summons goes wrong.


**AN:** Another piece from my RP. I get to play around with summons for Sasuke in it, and have had a lot of fun digging through research on various snakes and snake-like deities and then giving them personalities. I have a whole slew of them now, which really amuses the hell out of me, lol. **/AN**

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The sun had just settled beyond the horizon when he had been left to his own devices. Granted, just because Naruto had left in a flurry of indignation and anger didn't necessarily mean he was going to have the evening to himself. More than likely the idiot was going to storm his way back in here, fully set on turning the tables in one stupid manner or another. . .and he'd end up indulging him in that because that was simply how it went between them. Call it a matter of pride, ego-warped as it was. Even so, Sasuke was banking on the fact that it would take Naruto a good thirty minutes _at least_ before he conjured up a plan.

And that would be plenty of time.

Pricking the end of his thumb on Kusanagi's point, he waited for the first spill of blood to tumble down his finger before he traced the strokes of his summoning tattoo. A final offering was made in the form of three drops that ran together in the very center of the mark. As soon as the ritual was completed, his hands moved effortlessly through several seals, blood-tipped thumb smearing red over his opposite hand.

"I always thought you'd have better taste in lodgings."

A bright-pink tongue cut through the smoke. This was followed by the tip of a nose, a brilliant green in color. The snake's head tilted slightly to the left, then the right.

"I didn't summon you."

Uncoiling itself, the small serpent pulled itself loose from the haze of mist brought on by its arrival. It slid over the wooden floor, silent but with no air of danger, S-shape upon S-shape spilling down the length of its body. There was a brief pause, tongue licking the air, before it pressed forward to settle in a pool of candlelight.

"Yeah. . .well, Renenutet was busy," the creature replied. Her tone was casual, but Sasuke noted the hints of derision lying just beneath each syllable.

"Then why are you here?"

The snake curled herself back up, head resting neatly on the uppermost spiral of flesh. Putting off an answer for the moment, she kept her gaze centered on Sasuke's. Her eyes were a glittering black, yet nothing at all like staring into some endless void - all silvered sparks and bottomless dark. Rather, there was intelligence in them, keen and calculating. Sasuke imagined it was like staring down chaos itself, knowing that at any moment it could make him its plaything. It would only take a subtle shift in the winds of favor. . .or merely a ravenous boredom.

Sometimes, the only thing within any man's control was his own reactions.

"Awww. . ." she hummed with counterfeited hurt. Her tongue flicked out as she lifted her head. "Do you dislike me that much, _Sasuke-kun_? Not that it matters. . .Nehustan said there was a rather interesting boy around. The one with the fox demon. . ."

Unleashing a volatile glare on the snake, Sasuke clicked his tongue. A bitterly resentful sound. "This is not a matter for your amusement, Aapep."

"Oh! So you do know our names!"

Sasuke folded his legs before him, drawing his limbs close to his center. All without appearing defensive about it. Nothing more than an exercise in restraint - a thin wisp of self-restraint. He lifted his head a little higher, his eyes never once leaving the snake's figure. "Tch. . .if you have no _real_ business here, then leave."

Aapep unraveled herself again. The candlelight cast a brilliant gild over her scales, a sheen that rippled over her length with every flash of movement. Were he a lesser breed of ninja, he knew he wouldn't have noted the motion at all. Not, at least, until it was far too late.

Completely dismissing Sasuke's last comment, she hissed, "Funny coming from the one who killed Manda. What sort of right do you _really_ think you have?"

Pulling himself up from the floor, Sasuke's hands clapped together, but before the first seal could be launched into life, the door creaked opened sharply. He turned on the intruder, a snarl poised on his lips.

Naruto stopped dead in the doorway. Whatever righteous fury had fueled his entrance died in one magnificent flash when his eyes caught Sasuke's. "Am I. . .disrupting something?"

Sasuke dropped his hands to his sides and straightened himself up to his full height. He wasn't much taller than the other boy, but it was leverage enough. And as it was, the warning was thinly veiled. Slithering out from around the Uchiha's leg, Aapep twisted herself around Sasuke's ankle before moving off towards Naruto. She paused halfway between the two, cocked her head towards one and then the other.

Simultaneously, Sasuke and the snake uttered a curt _No_.

"Ah. . ." Naruto muttered. He ran a hand through his hair as he attempted to divide his attention between this new addition to his room and Sasuke's surly presence. A light cough made its way over his lips only to echo in the silence of the room. "Well. . .then. . .what's going on here?"

"Che. . .a conversation. What does it look like, idiot?"

Aapep twisted herself back up into a neat little spring of vibrant green. The tip of her tail flicked out from the bottom and pointed directly at Sasuke. "Yeah, and he's losing."


End file.
